(IN): Snake-handler dies of snakebite

[Guest guest]

Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080714/jsp/northeast/story_9545541.jsp

 

*Snake-handler dies of snakebite*

* - Hospitals out of anti-venom serum, victim gets treatment after 4 hours*

 

OUR CORRESPONDENT

 

*Dibrugarh, July 13:* Like his Bollywood namesake, Mithun Chakravarti, too,

flirted with danger. Only, it was for real, more like the world-famous

crocodile-hunter Steve Irwin.

 

The 30-year-old Chakravarti was an expert snake-handler and was passionate

about their conservation.

 

Like Irwin, he died at the hands of what he dealt with everyday. Irwin fell

to a freak accident when a stingray pierced his heart. Chakravarti died last

night after a poisonous cobra bit him at his workplace.

 

Chakravarti was based at Margherita in Tinsukia district. One of his

associates, Rajib Rudra Tariang, said the incident occurred on Friday when

Chakravarti was on duty at D1 B.P. Williamson Magor Bio-fuel Ltd.

 

Another employee said Chakravarti was bitten by a snake twice on his left

hand when he went to the toilet during a power cut at 7pm.

 

" He held the snake with his bare hands and brought it outside, by which time

power was restored. There he identified the snake as a monocoelate cobra and

saw the bite on his arm. Fearing that the snake could attack other trainees,

he asked his friend Dipak Baruah to get a gunny bag to keep the snake so

that it could be released later. He complained of dizziness and asked his

friend to tie a knot on his injured hand and write down the names of the

anti-venom injection. He soon started vomiting, went pale and succumbed to a

semiconscious stage, " the employee said.

 

Chakravarti was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital in Margherita.

However, they were out of anti-venom serum stocks. The doctors referred him

to the IOC (AOD) hospital in Digboi, but they, too, did not have any

anti-venom injection, a family member said.

 

Chakravarti's collected the vials from another hospital and he was injected

with the serum after a gap of four hours. By that time he had slipped into a

coma and was put on ventilation. He was given altogether nine anti-venom

injections, but by then it was too late. He was finally declared dead by the

doctors of IOC (AOD) at 9.45 last night.

 

" Mithun was a famous snake expert in this region. He used to rescue snakes

from local residents of Margherita and release them in the jungles, " said

Tariang, a lecturer with the Digboi College and a fellow environmentalist.

 

Chakravarti developed an interest in catching snakes during his schooldays

after being influenced by a snake charmer. He is survived by his bride, two

brothers, a sister and his mother.

 

 

 

 

--

United against elephant polo

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui